Life in Portland Blog

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is the immortal symbol for Star Trek fans worldwide. However, to Urban Nest clients Ella and Randy, it represents much more.

TrekHaus is a site net-zero duplex project in the Sunnyside neighborhood of SE Portland, near Hawthorne and Belmont. Each unit is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, two-story townhome featuring ultra-low energy design elements to the highest energy efficiency standards (Earth Advantage Platinum, Energy Star Certification, and Passivehaus certification pending). The TrekHaus also features a shed pre-wired for electric charging stations for both cars and bikes, rainwater collection with underground cistern for irrigation, and a food garden with fruit trees and raised beds.

Why the name TrekHaus? A visit to Ella and Randy’s website explains that “Ella’s a long-time geek and Star Trek fan. She can’t get that “to boldly go where no one has gone before” theme out of her head. When Randy, by chance, discovered THE building site in Sunnyside, that Star Trek theme (music and all) came to mind. For Ella and Randy, this project is sort of a bold adventure- not in the final frontier of space, but a “down to earth” trek towards a sustainable future.“